Chain.



E. J( HBRGHBRT.

GEAIN; APPLIOATION IVILBD JAN. 7, 1908.

Patented June 8,1909.

Noms ruins. Inc.. uma., vlAsmucnm. D. c..

IE sTArEsrArENT oEEroE.

EDWIN i. I'IEncnEnr, oF- EAST. ELKroRr, IOWA.

A cnam.

,NCL 924,55 1;

Patented .Tune S, 1909. A

Application med. January 7, 1908. Serial No. 409,663.

To' altwhcm it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN J. HERCHERT,

a-citizen of the United States, residing at East Elkport, in the county of Clayton and State of Iowa, have inventedanew and'4 usefultCham, of which the following is a specica Ion.

l This invention relates more particularly to sprocket chains, and the primary object is to 1o provide a novel,simple, cheap and ,effectiveA structure, whlch can be readily manufacf tured and assembled, is not apt .to break,has

protected bearings, and is' very durable.

The preferred form of construction is illustrated m the accompanying drawings,

, Figure l is a plan view of-a portion of a cham, part thereof being shown in section. Fig. 2 1s a sectional view showing the manner in.. which the links 'are constructed and asf sembled. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of the links.

Similar reference numerals designate corresponding a parts in' all the iigures of the drawings. The chain comprises aseries of links 4, and each link Iis preferably made .of a single piece of metal. Said link comprises a transversely dis osed continuous/end sleeve 5 rovided wit a bore 6, and" having integrai) arms 7 projecting from the ends thereof and of less Width than the diameter o f the sleeve. The

. free end of one of the arms is .provided with van enlarged ear having afiatfinner side and a central opening 8. The corresponding end .of theother arm also has an enlarged ear provided `With a flat inner'side, from the center of which projects an integral transverse pivot 9 that is somewhat longer than the sleeve 6 and is straight from end t'o end. The free end of` said pivot 9 is sufficiently small to'pass througlithe .opening 8. It Will vbe noted particularly by reference t'o the sectioned portion of Fig. 1 that inasmuch as the terminal ears are of greater diameter than the pivot 9, they form stop flanges completely about the ends `of said ivot and act asabutmentsl for the ends othe sleeve=of-the link placed on the pivot,l besides more effectively rotecting the bearing againstV the ingress o dirt and dust. v

The arms? are bcndable, and the4 links may be constructed of any suitable material that will permit the. bending of said arms.

' For instance, they may be Wrought or malleable iron or steel. lNhen constructed, the

bled' into a chain by one link through the the adjacent link, after'whicli the parts are arm carrying the pivot, is distorted so that the free end of the said pivot is disposed in spaced relation to the end of the arm having -the o ening 8, `as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3.

The 'nks therefore' can be readily assernpassing the pivot 9 of ore 6 of the sleeve of bent', and the free endof the pivot 9 is passed thrughjthe opening 8 and upset therein against detachment. Preferably the pivots of the alternate links-are passed through the sleeves in opposite directions, as illustrated in Fig. 2. lt will beevident that these links can be cheaply manufactured and readily assembled into a chain. Furthermore the pivot bearings being entirely surrounded by the sleeves', are protected to a very material degree against the'entrance of dirt and dust, and Wear is consequently reduced, thus eliminating a serious objection to that type of chains wherein hooks are employed having open slots through which dust canl enter the link bearings. zlt will be evident that the chain when assembled can be usedin the manner of an ordinary sprocket chain, and can be operated ineither direction without difficulty.

From the foregoing, it is thought that the construction, operation, and `many advantages of the herein described'invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art, without further description, and it AWill be understood that various changesin the size,shape,

proportion, and minor details of construction may be resorted to Without departing. from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantagesof the invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what l claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is I As an article of manufacture, a chain link formed of a single piece of metal comprising a transversely disposed continuous end sleeve, bendable armsof-less width than the a diameter of the sleeve, each arm havingvone' end integral with one end of said sleeve, one of said arms having an'enlarged integral ear at its free end provided with a central opening and a flat inner facel surrounding the openin the-,other arm also having an enlargedv Integral` ear at its free end provided with aflat inner face, anda transverse pivot, straightfrom lend to end, projecting from the centenpf the latter ear, said pivot being of less diameter than the ear and beingl integral therewith, the free end of the pivot beingmovable into the opening of the rst mentioned eau.' when the arms are bent toward each other and said ears 'forming stop anges com )letely around the ends oi' the pivot, there y forming abutnients for the end oi the sleeve oi' it link placed upon the pivot.

In testimony, that I ehiim the foregoing :Ls my own, l have hereto atixcd my signature 'lo in the presence of two witnesses.

EDWIN J. VI [ERG11 ERT.

Witnesses THEo. SIEGE, HENRY C. SCHNEPF. 

